Thanksgiving and Black Friday may grab attention as low-wage workers miss their holiday celebration for the big shopping rush, but for shift workers, that kind of sacrifice doesn’t just happen on holidays. A new campaign called Workshift highlights the challenges that shift workers—whose hours can vary by up to 87 percent from week to week—face.
That 87 percent swing can mean not knowing how to plan to pay the bills when your hours drop dramatically. For parents, it can mean that:
"They expect you to drop everything with a drop of a hat. I have a child so it's hard to find babysitters late notice, or if I do find childcare, they get annoyed because then they have to change their plans. If I can't change my schedule, management becomes nasty and unprofessional."
And, of course, the burdens fall unequally:
People of color experience even higher volatility. 55% of Black workers and 58% of Hispanic workers report that their employers make their schedules without their input.
Oregon recently passed a law protecting workers from some of the worst scheduling abuses bosses have come up with, requiring large businesses to give workers at least a week’s notice of their hours and 10 hours between shifts. That’s the sort of thing Democrats should be making a priority in states where they can pass laws.